Regal Affliction
by DawnAtSky
Summary: It isn't fair at all, the differences between him, and the one he had fallen for. But Karkat will not be like that, he won't fall into a stereotype. A one-shot bloodswap Karkat fic, because I just love Tyrian!Karkat that much. Rated T just to be safe.


**Okay, this is only a short one-shot I wrote up late at night instead of sleeping. **

**Needless to say It was still on my mind after posting it on tumblr, but i had my background set up on something weird so... ahaha...**

**Anyway, there isn't much to explain with this, so I'll just copy-past what i wrote on my tumblr post. **

**It's supposed to be a bloodswap reverse Alternian/Beforan culture thing, with Karkat and Feferi switching places on the hemospectrum, and it just kind of evolved into this. Because obviously, while Alternia would definitely be different with the Signless as the ruler, I don't think everything would be so happy and joyous, considering Scratch's effect on the universe.**

**So yeah. Enjoy you're sadstuck bloodswap thing.**

**I'm just gonna keep screeing into the sun about Tyrian!Karkat.**

* * *

Let it not be said that you didn't at least try to understand him. That fake-as-all hell "lifelong pity" between a ruler and a battery. A helmsman and their majestic container. A flagship and its throne. The current emperor, and the tool he eventually morphed and took advantage of and, in the end, kept as a keepsake.

Not matter how regal, and eloquent, and "royal" he claimed to be, the Grand Benevolence was a corrupt, sinister emperor.

Alternia had its standard reproduction laws, its' hemospectrum, its' culling culture, but in each aspect, a range of "peace" and "unity" was to be precedent. The highblood ruled over the entire race, and underneath his or her feet were those who were without gills, and chilled blood, and long lifetimes.

Lifetimes that would never once surpass their superiors. In all honesty, the system had its fair system of judgment: those who are born genetically stronger are the dominant caste, while those with short lifespans and intriguing abilities (to make up for the misfortune of their blood) are the subservient. Royal and common, high and low.

As far as he had learned, his ancestor fell for a psionic troll who he had enlisted for the takeover of the new reign, and after the war, this psionic troll had "willfully" sacrificed himself to be as a helmsman for the newest emperor, and their pity had, over time, evolved past the bounds of space and time, bringing a new dynamic to the quadrant system, this disgusting concept known as Love, that had poisoned the previous, now archaic, system of four separate quadrants.

That story makes you sick. As a firm believer in that old, necessary portion of ancient troll history, the quadrants are a requirement of a healthy troll lifestyle, unlike the messed up, simplistic, singular sack a shit out existence is completely consumed by nowadays. During your reign you would like nothing more than to bring back the quadrant system of yore, and to have society as a whole embrace difference through more than just blood.

Perhaps then they'd see the cold, heartless bastard their beloved emperor had warped into.

The psionic was used, abused, and in the end, thrown away psychologically. You ancestor can claim to "Love" his helmsman, as many times as he would so wish, but that doesn't stop him from continuing this same idiotic procedure of collecting psionic trolls for his other fleets. Psionic trolls that would be chewed up, spit out, and lost to wires and thieving fleetships.

You have no idea if "the first ship" is still alive and well, they're a cold, heartless pile a bones and flesh grafted onto a ship and sucked dry until death teases at their veins. (Only to be stolen away when the "Grand Benevolence" can spare the time to pump more life through them.) When you claim your stake as the rightful heir to the throne, putting that troll out of his misery will be the first thing on your agenda.

You have no doubt that that poor troll at least has some similarities to your recent crush. They're both powerful yellowblood psionic landdwellers. They're both sharers of the Gemini crest, and they're both destined to be broken down and used as a power source on day. If not by you –since you were already underway to ensure a complete destruction of this stupid "ideal power source" and the phasing out of psionic binding.

He often spent the time describing his disdain for the policy. One day you just may ask him to stay close to you during conscription, to keep him in your sights just in case some grabby highblood was eager to get some use out of him themselves. (You already know of one: your current best friend… "Moirail" would be the closest term. It's like a non-romantic lover of sorts. Very interesting quadrant.) Eventually, you might even help him lead a portion of your army in the typically short war that always takes place before the rising of a new emperor.

A part of you thinks that maybe, just maybe, you're falling for the same spell that, as you would like to assume, took your ancestor down this corrupt path. Those of different castes always have difficulties finding love seeing as the change in lifespans does not bode well for a healthy relationship. A lowblood could fall for a highblood and possibly never be with them due to their earlier deaths.

It's a common theme in the romance novel scene these days, that's why you stick with romantic-comedy films instead. Because no matter how long you have these feelings, they're going to end up either killing you, or dragging you down to the gates of _his_ hell.

Why is being in love with Sollux Captor so painful.

Sollux accepts Karkat; he doesn't try to censor himself from the highblood, and never had. They were close friends for so many sweeps that it just seemed natural when you had explained to yourself that, yes, you loved him. Until you took a more in-depth look at your ancestor's plight.

It's a simple reason, and yet that same simplicity is what kills you inside.

He's going to die hundreds of sweeps before you. Why not turn him into a helmsman like your ancestor had and keep him forever? Why not repeat his same mistakes, and let your closest lowblood friend down so you can afford a little more time of "happiness."

Even though you "love" him, you would never do that to him. You aren't like that corrupt fuckwad ruling Alternia to the ground right now, you are just a lonely heir too afraid of letting go of joy you could so easily obtain, simply because the years following, no matter what you do, will be filled to the brim with a broken heart.

Loving that troll may be what kills you, in the end, so you love from afar instead of take a chance at a couple good sweeps of happiness.

You are such a fucking coward.


End file.
